| Zak Johnson | |
| Fullname: | Zak Johnson |
| Birth Date: | 30 July 2004 |
| Birth Place: | Sunderland, England |
| Position: | Defender |
| Currentclub: | Sunderland |
| Clubnumber: | 41 |
| Youthyears1: | 2020–2022 |
| Youthclubs1: | Sunderland |
| Years1: | 2021– |
| Caps1: | 0 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2023–2024 |
| Clubs2: | → Hartlepool United (loan) |
| Caps2: | 11 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2023–2024 |
| Clubs3: | → Dundalk (loan) |
| Caps3: | 18 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2023– |
| Nationalteam1: | England U18 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 18:38, 24 June 2024 (UTC) |
| Nationalteam-Update: | 09:00, 23 September 2023 (UTC) |
Zak Johnson (born 30 July 2004) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for side Sunderland.
Johnson began his playing career at his hometown club Sunderland and made his first appearance in the EFL Trophy on 13 October 2021 coming on as a substitute in a 2–1 victory against Manchester United U21s. At 16 years and 141 days old, this appearance made Zak the youngest outfield player to play for Sunderland in almost 50 years.[1]
On 1 July 2022, it was announced Johnson had signed his first professional contract with Sunderland on a deal lasting until 2025.[2]
On 8 August 2023, Johnson made his first start for Sunderland in an EFL Cup defeat against Crewe Alexandra. A month later, he signed a new deal until 2026.[3]
Johnson moved to National League side Hartlepool United in September 2023 on a one-month loan deal.[4] On 26 October, this loan deal was extended until January 2024.[5] On 5 January 2024, it was announced that Johnson's loan spell with Hartlepool had ended.[6]
On 14 February 2024, Johnson signed for League of Ireland Premier Division club Dundalk on loan.[7] Johnson won the Supporters' Club Player of the Month for March 2024. He returned to Sunderland in June 2024. Johnson said of his loan spell: "I have loved every minute of my time here. The lessons in maturity and self-development have been so valuable, they will stay with me for the rest of my life."[8]
In June 2023, Johnson received a call-up to the England U18s squad for an upcoming trip to Portugal.[9]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Sunderland | 2021–22 | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
| Hartlepool United (loan) | 2023–24[10] | National League | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| Dundalk (loan) | 2024 | LOI Premier Division | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| Career total | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |||